VPI Turntable Avenger Direct Review
The hype around Marvel’s filmed superhero comics may have subsided somewhat. But the cult around VPI’s “Avenger” turntables continues. This time, the Avenger Direct steps up to the fight for good vinyl sound.
by Lothar Brandt
Perhaps the energy was exhausted. After the fulminant “Endgame” of the united superheroes known as the “Avengers,” the subsequent films from the Marvel universe could by no means match its success. In contrast to Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, and company with their digitally enhanced superpowers, the revenues of the analog family business VPI are very modest. But they are consistent, so the company founded in 1978 by Sheila and Harry Weisfeld in New Jersey, now led by their son Mathew, can still hold its own in the world of fine sound.
The top “Reference” line of the Americans includes a total of four Avengers as well as the two “Top Of The Line” players named Titan and Titan Direct, which are based on them. The main differences of the Avengers lie in the drive: While the basic Avenger is driven by a belt, the Avenger Plus takes off with an outboard rim drive rotated by two motors via belt. Such a rim drive also gets the Avenger Reference and the Titan going. Titan Direct and the Avenger Direct presented here, on the other hand, rely on direct drive with a self-developed motor.
VPI may be the only prestigious turntable manufacturers who master belt, rim, and direct drive.
Allegedly, founder Harry Weisfeld (HW) has always been a fan of this drive concept as well, but due to a lack of sufficiently stable and smooth-running motors, he rarely realized it in series production. For the anniversary model VPI HW 40 Anniversary, senior designer Mike Bettinger succeeded in 2018 in implementing Weisfeld’s approach to everyone’s satisfaction using the most modern materials. The coreless Permanent Magnet AC (PMAC) motor of the American direct-drive turntables requires very little magnetic material. The rotor and stator coils are wound in a V-shape and partially overlap, which is supposed to completely eliminate the dreaded cogging torque.
Mass and Class
They like to add a bit more to the impressive moment of inertia of the aluminum platter stabilized with an acrylic insert: The externally mounted “Ring Clamp” made of stabilized stainless steel not only brings more mass to the outer area but also helps, together with the heavy puck, to get warped records somewhat flat under the arm. As seen well on the large picture on the left, the German VPI distributor Audio Reference also supplied the Avenger Direct with these useful accessories.
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Around 35 kilograms is the turntable’s “naked” weight. That’s quite a lot of mass, but it is distributed with much class over the chassis, integrated power supply, drive, and platter. The multiply decoupled construction of the three legs alone, in that “Tripod” architecture famed among analog fans since the days of the venerable Micro Seiki DQX 1000, inspires respect. Powerful, leg-integrated rotating wheels enable highly precise leveling. The chassis itself consists of a sandwich of two acrylic and one aluminum plate, which are bonded together with a glue that, according to VPI, provides extremely broadband damping. The only facade adornments are the three buttons for On/Off, 33, and 45.
Power and Dynamics
7Review+7Review mounted the outstanding, well-known Ortofon Verismo. A moving-coil behemoth that can fully exploit the capabilities of turntables and arms for just under $7700—or reveal their limits. But there was no sign of such from the first notes, much less to hear. The VPI Avenger Direct sounds as it looks: incredibly powerful and thrillingly dynamic, and as steadfast as an oil rig. The massive blues-rock storms of Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa left it completely unfazed. That is, it passed the power on to the phono stage with unabated force and heat. When we significantly increased the intensity with Sonic Universe, the vinyl world-saver remained absolutely stable.
VPI Turntable Avenger Direct Report
IEC-386 evaluated speed constancy over time:
SPECIFICATIONS
- List Price (Test Unit): €41,900
- Warranty: 2 years, extendable to 10 years by manufacturer upon registration
- Dimensions (W × H × D): 47.0 × 25.4 × 43.2 cm
- Weight: 35 kg
- Drive Type: Direct
- Speeds: 33 rpm & 45 rpm
- Speed Switching: Yes
- Tonearm Height Adjustment: Yes
- Height‑Adjustable Feet: Yes
- Pitch Control: None
- Automatic Start/Stop: No / No
- Special Feature: Up to three tonearms can be mounted
Conclusion:
The VPI Avenger Direct proved to be a true superhero of good sounds. Its incredible powers benefit every music style. Because alongside highly remarkable power come highly sensitive nerves and quick-reacting dynamics. The energy that apparently never exhausts catapults it to the top of the turntables without cartridge in the best list. In the fight for good vinyl sound, this furious US player stands at the forefront.
PRO & CON
Pro
- Powerful, stable, and transparent sound
- Excellent tonearm
- Warped records pose no problem when using the ring clamp
- Very high‑quality construction, straightforward to operate
Con
- High price
- No 78 rpm option, no pitch control
TEST RESULTS
- Sound Quality: 187 points ≈ 9.35 / 10
- Features: “befriedigend” (satisfactory)
- Operation: “sehr gut” (very good)
- Build Quality: “überragend” (outstanding)
Audio Benchmark
- Overall Score: 187 points ≈ 9.35 / 10
- Price/Performance: “highendig”
VPI Avenger Direct turntable Debuts bringing direct-drive technology to the high-end series
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